MLB.com's Carrie Muskat has been covering Major League Baseball since 1981 and is the author of "Banks to Sandberg to Grace: Five Decades of Love and Frustration with the Cubs." You can follow her on Twitter @CarrieMuskat. Here, she blogs about the Cubs.

7/14 All-Star Byrd to visit kids

Cubs center fielder Marlon Byrd is an All-Star off the field, too. Byrd will visit the Union League Boys & Girls Club on North Washtenaw Avenue on Thursday to help kick off a summer-long program. He’ll visit more than 100 kids as they participate in gym, computer, library and art activities. This is the official launch of a community outreach program created by the Cubs and Steiner Sports Memorabilia, Inc., which will include a clinic Monday at Wrigley Field. Byrd will be joined by Cubs pitcher Randy Wells at the clinic, which will allow 50 kids to play on the field.

The joint venture between the Cubs and Steiner Sports gives fans and collectors the opportunity to own game-used artifacts from the team and Wrigley Field. Products include game-used baseballs, certified authentic Wrigley Field dirt, lineup cards from the Cubs’ dugout, bases, pitching rubbers, home plates, locker room chairs and game-used bats. The partnership will also bring Steiner’s line of hand-signed collectibles to Cubs faithful, including pieces signed by Ernie Banks, Bruce Sutter and Andre Dawson.

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